tobacco sponsor for Vale!!

[climb]

Yamaha confirmed this morning that Vale' bike will have a tobacco sponsorship.
Any comments?

[ASCII Man]

Traitor!

[BootsOntheSide]

I guess every principle has a price. And a nipple (nipl).

[Pitbabe]

That's life, I guess. He actually never said he would not race with a tobacco sponsor, just that he accepted it was likely to be a fact, and he would rather race with one than not race at all. At least the bike will be blue and not that terrible silver and orange thing that poor Carlos Checa will have to ride

However, two bikes in each team having different liveries is going to bemighty confusing, I reckon.

[ASCII Man]

I liked the Silver/Orange Yamaha more than the blue Gauloise one...

[chunder]

He rode with a fag sponsor in the Suzuka 8 hour. Cabin are fag people.
Vale will ride in Gauloises and Checa in Fortuna. Melandri in Fortuna and Abe in Gollies.
Bit like BAR in F1.
Seems weird that Vale went back on his deal but to be honest I think he was just pushing HRC in those days to give him a better deal.
It is clear that the only way Yamaha could afford him was with fag money.
Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I think it is rubbish that people associate sponsorship with smoking anyway. If it wasn't for fag money motorsport would be much worse off.
Besides at GP's you get those gorgeous birds walking round trying tog et you to have a fag, and that's got to be good! (joke)

[f1manoz]

I have no problem with it. Was bound to happen as Yamaha could only afford Rossi with the help of cigarette sponsorship...

[tobesterr]

Let's be honest it was only ever going to be a choice between Ducati and Yamaha and as both run with Tobacco backed sponsorship he was going to have to swallow any principals he might have had to get a ride outside of HRC and be competetive.

This tobacco livery thing will run all season I guarantee that as currently the FIM have no mandated ruling on differing livery but you can bet a fair few fans most noteably newer converts will get confused as to who is who and in which team. Unless you are an experienced GP watcher and recognise helmet designs or riding styles you could get lost especially at trackside rather than with the benefit of television cameras from multiple angles.

The other big question is will others follow suit forcing the FIM to take action. Ducati in effect could run with one bike in Marlboro colours and one in MarlboroLight colours or even L&M colours as Phillip Morris has links with all of course. Then there's the Pons team with Camel, Mild Seven and Pramac brands, where do you draw the line??

Tobe

[ASCII Man]

Werent Repsol Honda in search of a tobacco sponsor like Mild Seven a little while back?

[chunder]

Is Pramac a fag company? Thought they were an engineering company or something!

[MichaelH]

Yeah, I didn't think they were a fag company, for one thing the 'Pramac' name on Harada's 2002 spec bike on Moto GP 2 (Xbox game) isn't censored.

[GTRMagic]

To quote http://www.pramac.com/company.asp

"The PRAMAC Group, with it¿s headquarters in Casole d¿Elsa (Siena, Italy), is a fast growing, dynamic group, manufacturing and marketing two diversified product ranges across the world: Material Handling Systems and a full line of Power Generating Equipment ¿ Gensets, Water Pumps, Welder-Generators, and Pressure Washers.
The Group has diversified its presence in the market adopting a market-focused organisation shaped around its three Business Divisions:

1. Handling Systems
2. Power Systems -Portable Gensets, Water Pumps, Electric Welders, Pressure Washers and Hoists-
3. Power Engineering ¿A wide range of Professional Gensets, provided from a standard catalogue or specifically engineered and tailored to any kind of professional application-
4. Service and Parts.

http://www2.pramacracing.com/pages/motogp.html